We’ve reached the time of year where the NCAA Tournament is most certainly on your mind if you are a basketball fan.

If it’s not, wake up and smell the coffee!

Championship week is only a week away for the ACC at the Barclays Center and the Big East at Madison Square Garden, and it is sure to be an unbelievable week.

Wall-to-wall basketball action with some of the best teams the country has to offer in our own backyard.

Awesome stuff.

However, how much better would next week’s Big East Tournament be if St. John’s was one of those teams trying to work their way into the NCAA Tournament?

Unless St. John’s pulls the miracle of all miracles by winning four straight games at Madison Square Garden, the NCAA Tournament will not be a part of their near future, but that should not discourage Red Storm fans in any way.

Your program is coming my friends.

Chris Mullin was left as empty a cupboard as you will ever see when you think about the lack of recruits St. John’s had going back to the 2015-2016 season.

The last two years, Mullin has had to work the phones, recruit his own, and attempt to bring a winning culture back to Jamaica.

No easy task.

Year one was a struggle of epic proportions with only one Big East win.

When you consider that in year two the Johnnies have already won seven Big East games, this season has already featured significant improvement.

The Big East may not be the conference it was when it featured the likes of Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville and Notre Dame, but it’s a conference that will most likely send six teams to this years’ NCAA Tournament.

When St. John’s is at its best, they can play with tournament-caliber teams.

Next year will bring about a different set of expectations. A winning record will be expected and many fans hope that come this time next year, you can think about St. Johns as a team that may be right on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

I expect it to happen. Chris Mullin has been able to recruit quality players, the current team is very young and should only get better, and the sky is the limit for freshman sensation Shamorie Ponds.